Autumnleaf Springfoot
History Autumnleaf has humble beginnings. He was the third son of a frontiersman and his birth name was Jacob Trapper. He grew up in the wilds of the High Forest. His family scratched out an existence at the western edge of the forest and sold pelts. During one particularly difficult winter, the Trapper family began running short on supplies. Jacob and one of his brothers were sent to make the difficult winter trek to Yarter to spend the rest of the winter with family friends. They never made it to Yarter, though. Along the way, Jacob's brother fell through the ice while crossing a river. Jacob tried to rescue him, but was unable to get him out of the frigid waters in time. Jacob was now in dire straights. He was terribly exposed, wet, and short of supplies, since most of the contents of his pack spilled into the river when he was trying to get to his brother. Jacob refused to succumb, and soldiered on. He eventually fell, and slipped into a hypothermic sleep and would have died in the night, if not for the mercy of a Dryad. The Dryad took pity on the boy and brought him into the womb of her Oak Tree. Once sheltered, Jacob regained his strength. He also gained a new perspective. He spent the rest of the winter with the Dryad; learning about the Old World and the way of nature. In the Spring, he profusely thanked the Dryad and returned to his family home. He learned that he had lost more than his brother during the past winter. His father had been stricken by illness and malnutrition and had passed away. His mother decided to move the entire family to Yarter, since she could not support them by herself on the frontier. Both to ease the burden and due to his experience with the Dryad, Jacob chose to stay on the frontier. He used the teachings of the Dryad to forge a new life in the wilderness. The first year alone in the forest was hard on Jacob, but he persevered. He made the acquaintance of a local centaur tribe and occasionally joined their feasts. At the end of the year, he returned to the Oak to pay a visit to the Dryad who had saved him the previous year, but found that loggers had leveled the area. Jacob mourned the loss of his friend and savior. It was on that day he officially joined the ranks of the Druids. He vowed to serve the natural order to the best of his ability, in order to repay the debt owed to the fallen Dryad. He rechristened himself as Autumnleaf Springfoot to represent the cycle of loss and rebirth of nature. Autumnleaf grow into adulthood and into power as he learned how to shape the energy of the world. He traveled the length and breadth of the High Forest and beyond. The druid didn't rise to prominence in the civilized world until the events of the Tyranthraxis in Waterdeep in 1367. Autumnleaf gained notoriety for his role in defeating the Possessing Spirit. In the process of fighting the demon, Autumnleaf killed several druids of the heirophant. Many believe that this was a calculated move by Autumnleaf, so he himself could become a member of the druidic circle. The truth of the matter is that the possessing spirit intentionally manipulated the deaths of the druids as a way of getting to Autumnleaf. After defeating Tyranthraxus, Autumnleaf did indeed become a member of the Heirophant. Autumnleaf's territory is an expanive swath of land that includes most of the Northern reaches of Faerun, along the Sword Coast. He patrols a vast area boxed in by the Trackless sea on the West, the Anauroch to the East, The Sea of Endless Ice in the North, and the High Moor in the South. Autumnleaf has frequently been involved in major events in Waterdeep, Neverwinter, and most recently the Githyanki war. Unbeknownst to most, he has recently become a hidden lord of the city, helping to fill the void left when so many of the regular heroes of Waterdeep have been killed. Animal Companion Autumnleaf's animal companion is a dire wolverine named Tostig. Tostig is a loyal and noble friend to the druid. Autumnleaf worries about Tostig's safety as they continue to battle more and more powerful foes. The druid is considering awakening the wolverine and letting him forge a new path free of the tethers of animal companionship. Category:Characters Category:Autumnleaf Springfoot Category:Good Guys